Chapter 2 - Blockstack and Horseshoes

"You should have seen it, Jasper," Brian said to his cousin. The two were face chatting while our trio sat at the McBurgertown. "I practically crashed those pins."

"Wow, Brian," Jasper replied. "You actually beat Vinny in a game of bowling?"

"Well," Brian shrugged, "I wouldn't say 'beat', actually. Let's just say I squeaked by, right Vin?"

The dog in question noticed an arcade machine with a Tetris-style game called "Blockstack".

"Uh, Vin?"

This got Vinny's attention.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Say, Brian, what do you say we play a game of Blockstack? Loser gets to buy the winner another burger."

"Well, okay," Brian shrugged. "You usually beat me at Blockstack." Turning to Jasper, he continued, "I gotta go, Jasper. Vinny and I are going to play Blockstack."

With that, Brian hung up and walked to the machine with Vinny.

While Vinny played, the Blockinoes, which the pieces of the game that are an equivalent to Tetris' Tetriminoes, began to fall faster and faster each level until the stack reached the top of the board. His score was 9 Million points.

"You did good, Vinny," Brian congratulated.

"Okay, Brian, your turn," Vinny replied. "To beat me, you've got to score 10 Million. Good luck, Big bro."

"Well, okay," Brian shrugged, "here goes nothing."

Brian started the game. As his gameplay progressed, a lot of customers grouped up behind our trio, and were amazed to see that Brian was a professional. After Brian's stack reached the top of the board, his score was at 10,990,000 points (the highest score in the game). This got Vinny down on the dumps.

"Wow, talk about luck!" Brian said. "Did you think I'd ever do it, Vin?" No response. "Vinny?"

Brian saw that the dog in question walked away, depressed, and he left the McBurgertown on foot.

"Good job, Brian," Stewie congratulated. "Vin said he had to go home on foot, but he gave you the money to buy you that burger. What a game."

"Yeah," Brian replied sarcastically, "what a game."

Brian and Stewie went home later that day in the Prius. On the way home, Brian thought about his victories with bowling and Blockstack on the same day, but not too much.

"That was amazing, Brian," Stewie said after hopping out of the Prius. "You should let Lois and the Fat Man know about your victories with Vinny."

"I should," Brian replied, "maybe."

When Brian and Stewie went inside, they noticed that Vinny wasn't with the rest of the family on the couch in the living room.

"Hey," Brian greeted.

"Oh, hey, Brian," Lois greeted back. "If you're looking for Vinny, he's outside in the backyard."

Brian went there through the kitchen door and saw that his younger brother was playing horseshoes, but with poor results.

"Wow," Brian understood as Meg went outside. "Vinny's really worked up."

"He's terrible," Meg shrugged getting Brian's attention. "You should have seen him playing with Chris on Baila Baila Fiesta. He couldn't get his dance moves right. He's really lost his edge."

After Vinny missed another horseshoe, he growled, "Oh, crap. I can't believe this."

"Hey, Vinny," Brian greeted, walking to his brother and getting his attention. "Are you all right?"

"I was just tossing some horseshoes, Brian."

"You're not mad because I beat you at bowling and Blockstack, are you, Vinny?"

"Nah," Vinny answered, picking up another horseshoe. "More like cursed, actually. It's like I lost my touch or some'n. I mean, I hardly lose at anything, especially to you, Brian. No offense."

"But it's just a couple games, Vinny," Brian shrugged as Vinny missed another horseshoe. "It isn't like you won't beat me again." With that, Brian picked up a horseshoe. "I have an idea: let's say we play something else and you beat me like usual." Brian threw the horseshoe, which got at the pole, and chuckled nervously afterwards. "What about flying disk at the park tomorrow?"

"Yeah, maybe," Vinny replied, feeling a little better and about to walk back inside. "You won't let me win, will ya'? If so..."

"Let you win, Vinny?" Brian repeated, following him. "I don't have to. Besides, you always catch a disk better than I do."